A Split Second

A split second could
be the matter between life and death in a moving vehicle. It only
takes a split second to drive off the road, rear-end another car, or
smash into a guard rail. This could turn out deadly for not only you
but every innocent driver around. Imagine the pain and guilt a young
driver would feel if they were in a fatal crash caused by themselves.
This is why we need more in-depth Drivers ed. In Indiana, the
requirement is simply only 6 hours with an instructor, or no hours at
all if the student opts-out of Drivers Ed completely. There is no way
a young driver like myself could tackle every real-world situation of
the roads in these six hours. Hands-on driving instruction should
take a more important role in the Drivers ed system since it
is the only true way to learn how to drive. Reading a passage or
watching a video instructing a 15-year-old on different signs they
might encounter will not teach them how to handle the roads. Teens
would be more comfortable behind the wheel if they were to be offered
more time with a professional instructor. Being more comfortable with
situations that might arise on the roads would lead to fewer
accidents and therefore fewer casualties. To reduce the number of
deaths related to driving, we also need to shed light on the
importance of ignoring the many distractions that current technology
gives us. Something as simple as a touch-screen radio can be
extremely distracting. Creating features in cars that block the use
of this type of technology may be extremely beneficial. Although it
is hard to regulate or fix, cell phones are also a huge factor in
accidents. According to edgarsnyder.com, nearly 1.6 billion crashes
are caused by cell phone use alone. People should be held accountable
for this selfish act.

Personally, I have
been lucky to not have been in any serious accidents. I have been in
one minor fender-bender that was both parties’ fault. Even though
no damage was caused and no one was hurt, it was a very scary
feeling. With this, driving irresponsibly is something I encounter
regularly as a teen. Getting in the car with three or four friends
can be very distracting. The driver is frequently singing and
dancing, paying less attention to the road. It is all fun until
someone would get hurt. In the student parking lot at my school, many
of my peers are reckless and even begin to race one another while
there are other cars and pedestrians around. It is absolutely
terrifying to an on-looker and seems very selfish that these kids put
others in such immediate danger.

To become a safer
driver, I think we should go back to the issue of cell phones. PUT
THE PHONE DOWN, FOLKS. Cell phones completely take your eyes off the
road no matter how long you look at the phone. Texting and driving
can wait. If the phone is too tempting, put it in a place that you
cannot reach. This may seem crazy, but not long ago people went
everywhere without a phone. You can survive a drive without it. Just
think, is replying to this text worth my life?